The year 2010 marks one of Mentone Grammar's new beginnings. The School started on its present site, Frogmore, in 1923. Eighty-seven years later an important decision was taken and the Archive Office of Mentone Grammar was established. Far from being a dry and somewhat remote activity, work in this area has a fascination of its own as engagement with our past brings to light new ideas and visions of our history. Did you know, for instance, that in 1939 Mentone Grammar was faced with total financial collapse and its property subdivided and up for sale?

Facts like these emerge from the pages of documents held in our Archive and the human face of circumstances such as these emerges from the large collection of photographs we are also fortunate to have. In simple terms our mission is to collect, preserve and make available the records of our past. This work we have now begun. 

We will update this page from time to time with News from Archives and also post any requests for information below in Can you help? 

If you have any information or queries please phone us on 9583 0908 or email htg@mentonegrammar.net.

News from Archives

Our current work includes:

• Tasks associated with organizing the collection and developing IT solutions for mass digital storage of items in the collection.
• Putting in order records of members of staff of Mentone Grammar from the very early beginnings up until more recent times.
• Seeking out information and photographs relating to our Foundation School Council. Without their vision and drive there might not have been a Mentone Grammar School.
• Attempting to reconstruct the student population of the early School from financial records, photographs and early issues of The Mentonian.
• Scanning early issues of The Mentonian, so that these may be accessed in digital form.
• Arranging past student records.
• Preparing lists of particular segments of the School population, eg Boarders.
• Reviewing the records of Old Mentonians who lost their lives during World War II, so that accurate information about them is readily to hand for commemorative occasions like Anzac Day.
• The ongoing task of scanning the vast majority of our collection of photographs into digital form for ready access by the School community.

Can You Help?

Photographs and Documents

We are particularly interested in acquiring or scanning any photographs, memorablilia or documents that relate to Mentone Grammar and personalities over the period 1923 to 1959. Does anyone have a copy of The Mentonian 1947? This issue is extremely scarce.

Foundation School Council

One of our projects is to try and discover more about our Foundation School Council (1923) and, if at all possible, obtain a photograph of each one of them. Quite recently, we made contact with the son of Selborne Kennon who provided us with many photographs of his father, together with a personal memoir. If you have any useful leads concerning the following gentlemen, please make contact with us:

• C H Caudwell
• G G Downe
• J W Drysdale
• C T Godby
• A E Inglis
• A Jackson
• F Jones
• A W Kirkwood
• Dr J Leon
• A H Wills

And from after 1923:

• C Imes
• R H Marriott

Contact us

Please contact us if you have any information or any archival items you would like to share or donate to us. 

The archive office is located at:
Level 1
18A/354-368 Reserve Road
Cheltenham VIC 3192
Tel: 03 9583 0908 Email: htg@mentonegrammar.net

Postal Address:
Mentone Grammar
63 Venice Street
Mentone VIC 3194